Question

What effect does the number of species with only one individual, f1, have on the estimate of the total number of species?

1) As f1 increases, the estimate of species number also increases, except when f1 is between the values of zero and one.
2) As f1 increases, the estimate of species number decreases.
3) The value of f2 has a much greater influence on the estimate of species number than the value of f1.
4) As both f1 and f2 increase, the estimate of species number also increases.

Answer 1

As the number of species with only one individual (f1) increases, the estimate of species number typically increases, signifying that these unique individuals could correspond to unique species at the risk of extinction. Option 1 is correct..

Step-by-step explanation:

When estimating the total number of species within an area or on the planet, the number of species with only one individual, known as f1, plays an important role. Basically, as f1 increases, the estimate of species number also tends to increase. This happens because each unique individual could potentially represent a unique species. Therefore, a higher f1 value suggests a greater number of species that are at risk of extinction due to their small population size. This concept is related to the notion that reduced population sizes can significantly increase the risk of a species going extinct. However, the value of f2, the number of species with exactly two individuals, also has an influence on species estimation. Both f1 and f2 are critical for understanding biodiversity and predicting patterns of extinction and survival of species.

This is because when there are more species with only one individual, it suggests a diverse and fragmented population, indicating a higher overall species number. However, when f1 is between zero and one, it may indicate that species are on the verge of extinction, which can lower the estimate of total species numbers.